How iPod's Rivals Stack Up
Dialing for digital music is about to take off as the world's cell-phone makers and wireless providers race into the market
Phones that are capable of playing digital music aren't anything new. Samsung introduced the first one in 1999, and by last year, the number of these gadgets had mushroomed to 57.5 million, eclipsing the 35.9 million MP3 players, including iPods, that were shipped. Still, until recently, ringtones were the only music most people listened to on cell phones because the sound could be mediocre and they could hold only a few tunes.
That's all changing fast. During the past year, innovations in storage, compression, battery life, and wireless networks have spurred work on a new crop of better-equipped phones. That's making it possible for wireless carriers worldwide to begin offering services that download full-length songs over the air, enabling people to listen to music anytime, anywhere. Here's a look at the new breed of music phones from around the world.